Tremble
by First Responders
Summary: Sports journalist Bella Swan has been assigned to cover the FIFA World Cup, but when her favorite photographer gets in an accident, she is forced to go with her arrogant rival and secret crush, Edward Cullen. Bella tries to fight the attraction, but a quick trip to the rainforest turns into a life-changing experience when everything starts to tremble.
1. CAPÍTULO UNO

**_CAPÍTULO UNO_**

~MR~

The blare of the alarm clock woke up Bella with a start. She sat up in her bed, her hair a wild mess of curls and knots as she slammed her hand down on the snooze button.

Bleary eyed, she tried to remember why she had set her alarm for—she turned to check the time—four o'clock!

_What the hell?_

But when she spotted the bags by her bed, she remembered.

_Oh yeah, I'm flying to South America today!_

Excited, she jumped out of the bed, turning off the alarm clock before she raced towards the bathroom. She couldn't wait to get to the airport now and not only because she was going back to the country where her mother was born but because she was finally covering a major sporting event—The FIFA World Cup.

Growing up with her mother's family so close by, she always watched the soccer—er, football (she needed to get the terms straight) matches with her uncles and cousins. She fell in love with the sport when she was just a little girl, and even though her dad was more of a baseball fan, every time the Seattle Sounders played, he would always get tickets for them.

Bella got out of the shower and sighed, thinking about her dad. When he found out she was going to cover the World Cup, he was over the moon. One of his biggest regrets was never having taken her to her mom's hometown after she passed away, but this trip was a double opportunity she wouldn't miss for the world.

Too bad Benjamin wasn't travelling with her.

Her favorite photographer had gotten into a nasty car accident; his leg was shattered and would need several surgeries. She had visited him just two days ago and he'd promised he would find a photographer to substitute for him, one who would give the coverage the quality it deserved.

Bella dressed in her most comfortable clothes, knowing she was going to spend hours on a plane. She grabbed a strawberry pop tart and ate it quickly while she called for a cab.

An hour and a half later, she was walking towards the check-in desk at the airport when she spotted a mop of reddish brown hair. She stopped in her tracks and pulled a magazine from her purse. She covered her face as she tried to walk by unnoticed.

"Nice try, Swan, but I was actually waiting for you."

Bella stopped in her tracks and groaned. "What do you want, Cullen?"

Edward Cullen was the _vain_ of her existence. Cocky, arrogant, and a total manwhore (or at least that was what she had heard), he was the only person in the world who could push Bella's buttons. He was also her biggest competition through college. Add the fact she had hated him since he completely ignored her freshman year of college, and nothing could lessen the animosity she felt towards him.

"As I said, I was waiting for you," he responded with that stupid smirk on his face, dangling a press pass in front of her eyes.

Bella took a step back, but when she saw the name of her newspaper on his ID, she tried to grab the pass.

"No, no, no," he said, shaking his finger at her. "This is _my_ pass, which coincidentally matches yours!"

Bella crossed her arms and glared at him. "Where did you get that?"

If it was possible, Edward's smirk got cockier. "See, I had just returned from Africa, taking some pictures for _National Geographic_"— Bella rolled her eyes at his not-so-subtle bragging—"when I got a call from an old college buddy. He said he was desperate and needed someone to go in his place to South America to cover a major sporting event, so like the good friend I am, I accepted. Little did I know that the reporter I was supposed to partner with was none other than you!"

Bella cursed under her breath and turned around. She dialed her editor's phone number, and he picked up after the second ring.

"You're going with him or there is no piece."

Bella gritted her teeth. "Hello to you too, Emmett. Oh, and by the way, thanks for the heads up!"

Her editor sighed on the other side of the line. "Look, Benjamin and I tried to find someone to go with you, but with the Stanley Cup finals in just a couple of weeks, no one was available. We were lucky to snag Edward before another newspaper or magazine could. He's a great photographer, Bella, and he's perfect at capturing candids, something you need for your piece and the approach you want to give to the coverage."

Bella sighed, unable to deny that. When she got the assignment, she knew she wanted to do more than just cover the games; she wanted to bring light to a sport many Americans were just discovering now. Ever since David Beckham played a season with the LA Galaxy, the interest in football had grown in the States. Americans were fascinated by the talented player who was considered football royalty in Europe.

She wanted to recreate the same fascination and multiply it. She wanted America to know all the elite players who were coming to the World Cup and discover the passion for the sport through the eyes of the players. So many of them came from very humble backgrounds, and she wanted the piece to have a human interest angle. She already had three major interviews lined up, and she was looking to score at least two more.

Bella was out of time, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, Cullen was all she had.

"Fine, Emmett. But you owe me . . . big time!"

She ended the call before Emmett could reply and turned to face her nemesis.

Edward grinned and winked. "Ready, partner?"

Bella glared at him and briskly walked away.

_Lord, give me strength to not strangle this smug bastard in his sleep._

~BoH~

Neck pillow. Check!  
Bloody Mary. Check!  
Eye mask. Check!  
Settling in for a nice, long nap. Check!

"Oh, excuse _me_!"

Edward lifted the corner of his sleep mask just in time to see Bella deliberately bang his elbow with the corner of her rolling bag.

"Ow! What the f—hell, Swan?"

"Sorry, is your first-class seat not wide enough to accommodate your gigantic ego?"

Damn, the fiery pistol of a girl he'd always crushed on had turned into one hot journalist. With her fury setting him on fire, all Edward needed was a square of melted Hershey's and a graham cracker to go with his toasted marshmallows.

"Oh, I get it. It's my fault I negotiated a better deal than you did?"

"Ugh!" Bella set her chin and shuffled along with the chain gang of coach passengers, taking out her frustration on the poor suitcase dragging behind her.

Edward tossed back the rest of his Bloody Mary, yanked down the blackout mask, and let a self-satisfied grin find a home on his face.

_Note to self: send Benjamin a tin of caramel corn and a huge fucking thank-you note. _

Thirty days and nights to win over Bella Swan without goody two-shoes Angela to tell her Edward was a bad influence, without Bella's dear old dad and his trusty shotgun, and without mealymouthed "Fig" Newton to woo her with lame-ass Whitman's samplers purchased at the Walgreen's drive-thru window.

_Fuck, that last one really hurt._

Edward rolled his eyes behind the mask, told himself he was an idiot, even growled in frustration, but it was no use. Once the painful memory crawled to the surface, he couldn't shake it.

_Seriously, Cullen? You're still sore about Newton scooping you with the prom invite?_

Senior prom was what . . . ten years ago? Yeah, that wound was still oozing angry pus. Maybe because Edward had purchased a brand new mauve suit with his own hard-earned money to impress the girl. Or maybe it was because of the rare effort he'd put into actually taming his crazy hair for the pictures. Or perhaps that he'd taken so much time to stage each of the four shots with his tripod and timer.

_"__Don't think so," _the nagging voice of deeply-buried rejection answered.

With a familiar pit in his belly, Edward flashed on the four snapshots he'd slid into Bella's locker at lunch, not realizing Newton had already sealed the deal.

_Shot #1: Edward in his suit and tie, clean-shaven and tidy-haired, a white posterboard with a giant red "P" hanging from his shoulders._

_Shot #2: No jacket or tie, shirt unbuttoned at the neck, big blue "R" on his chest._

_Shot #3: Just the suit pants, a green "O" covering his bare chest from view._

_And the final blow, shot #4: Nothing but the "M" on his chest and a question mark covering up the essential bits._

Like observing a train wreck, Edward recalled watching Newton accompany her to her locker that day, the guy following behind her like a damn trained puppy who'd just swallowed the biggest milk bone of his life. As Edward spied from the alcove of Mr. Nutter's doorway, Bella discovered the envelope, and with a confused crinkle of her forehead stuffed it quickly into her backpack.

She'd never said a word to him about it, didn't have to. The story was all over school by the end of that day. Everyone knew "the swan and the newt were finally cross-pollinating." Edward made a pact with his self-esteem not to try a stunt like that again anytime soon, not to risk exposing himself. He changed his traffic patterns so he wouldn't have to run into Bella between classes, locked down Jessica Stanley for prom, and pretended it didn't kill him to watch Bella slow dance with someone else.

Since then, he'd traveled the globe, chasing after other brunettes who had a knack with words—even catching a few—but time and time again, it was Bella who slipped through his fingers.

Thirty days wasn't such a long time. He'd have to be on top of his game. Edward drifted off to sleep with the highly disturbing realization that this might well be his last chance to win Bella Swan.

~AF~

A baby was crying. Of course a baby was crying. It was a fourteen-hour-long flight with only one brief layover. Why wouldn't a baby cry?

She was doubting her capacity to survive this, and regretting not paying the extra two grand the first-class ticket demanded, but she needed that money if she wanted to indulge in a few pleasures during this trip.

She wouldn't even be thinking about first class if not for that insufferable Edward Cullen!

_Maybe just being away from him would make it worthwhile to have to endure coach_, she reasoned. The renewed screaming of the baby crushed her pitiable attempt at rationalizing.

She hadn't seen him in over a year. That had been a very well-orchestrated plan of hers. Avoiding Cullen was vital to her sanity. And now this, all those months thanking God he was on a different continent so she wouldn't have to hear about his awesomeness from other journalists and editors, how he was so sought after. She had been better than he in college. He was an okay photographer, but... Well, a good photographer… Damn it! He was fantastic with a camera; he could use a disposable one and still get out-of-this-world shots, but that didn't make him a journalist; it made him an artist. Yes, that was it! She needed to take this opportunity to set him on the right track; he should be exhibiting his work in galleries, not encumbering her life with his pesky self-importance.

She sighed.

If only.

Why did Benjamin have to have that accident? It ruined a big part of the excitement she had felt over this job.

She looked around her and tried to recapture her enthusiasm from the positive energy of some of her fellow travelers. A cute couple was whispering and making googly eyes at each other and laughing at something; it was so sweet it was disgusting.

She smiled.

Romance was not her _real_ agenda, but she had a secret fantasy one, too. She imagined that she could have been white-picket-fence material in some other universe. As things stood, she had more urgent matters to focus on.

Bella's chest and stomach filled with anticipation as she thought of those things she should be focusing on. The Oliveira interview, in particular, had her giddy. She had actively pursued that one. Santiago Oliveira's family was from the same small town where her grandmother had been born. There was no one left from her own family there that she knew of, but she had always wanted to see the magnificent scenery her mother described so vividly.

_"All is intensely green in Crepúsculo." She remembered her mother whispering excitedly, her eyes lost in memories._

_"You mean like in Forks," a fourteen-year-old Bella responded a bit disdainfully._

_Her mother chuckled. "I will never understand your distaste for Forks. It really is beautiful, amor."_

_"Yes, it is. It's also booooring, Mama. We could fish in the Caribbean, too, you know?"_

_"Billy lives there, and Charlie misses him," Renée said with finality._

_"I bet you miss my Abue, too. Can we go visit her? That way I would know what you mean by _intensely green_," whined Bella, rolling her eyes petulantly._

_"It's because of the light," said Renée, dodging Bella's question. "The sunlight is bright, and it percolates through the leaves and makes all the colors pop. Green reigns over it all, but the purples, reds, blues, and yellows of the flowers and birds will not be ignored; their voices and colors are loud._

_"And the charming houses, white with red tile roofs…"_

A loud fart, whose foul stench slowly crept towards her, rudely shook her out of her memory.

Bella held her breath and looked at her watch, willing it to move faster.

Eleven hours left.

Stupid, arrogant, unbearably beautiful Edward Cullen and his astronomically expensive first-class ticket.

Trying to quell her frustration, she took a deep breath, remembering too late the reason why she had held it in the first place.

* * *

**Authors' Note: **We hope you enjoyed chapter one of Tremble! Many thanks to **Chayasara** for her beta services as we melded our three styles into one beginning.  
Follow us here for the next chapter, then check out the **Fandom Gives Disaster Relief compilation** to find the rest (link is on our profile).

After chapter two, this story will become a collaboration of any and all who would care to join us. **IF YOU WANT TO WRITE A CHAPTER (200-800 words), join us in our Facebook Group First Responders (see the link on our profile) and we'll fill you in on how this works!** Meanwhile, check out the Fandom Gives blog (also linked on our profile), make a cash donation to the relief effort to secure your copy of the compilation, write a story, donate an item to the online raffle, sign up to beta or make a banner, and SPREAD THE WORD! All are ways to help- choose yours!

We all thank you for your support.  
Mina Rivera, Bornonhalloween, and Ana Fluttersby (FIRST RESPONDERS)


	2. CAPÍTULO DOS

_**CAPÍTULO DOS**_

~MR~

"_Una cerveza, por favor. Bien helada_," ordered Bella. The barman quickly set an ice cold beer in front of her and a small plate with lime wedges.

She downed the entire beer in one go, ordering another one. This one she took her time with, pushing a couple of lime wedges inside the bottle.

It had been a week since they arrived to Aurora, the world cup's main venue, and the heat and humidity were almost unbearable. While Bella adjusted quickly, Edward, on the other hand was still complaining about the heat.

"_I thought you would be used to the sun and heat with all the photographs you take in Africa for National Geographic," Bella mocked him as they left the hotel for another interview at the stadium._

_Edward frowned and wiped his forehead—he looked like a melting vanilla ice cream. "Africa's heat is dry; it's the humidity that I can't stand."_

Bella had simply rolled her eyes and walked towards the rental car.

Just thinking about that car had Bella chuckling as she sipped on her second beer.

Edward had been so adamant about driving that she let him. After the third time he screamed like a little girl when he took the wrong lane and one of the _Metrovia_ buses zoomed past him, he gave up.

Bella had cracked up at his disgruntled face.

"_Don't worry, you'll get back your man card once we are back home," she had teased him._

"Watcha having, Swan?"

Bella groaned and finished off her beer, flagging the barman for another one.

Why couldn't she escape from him for just one freaking night?

Edward had been glued to her every single day. Granted, he had been sort of charming and nice—most of the time—but he quickly went back to the obnoxious and arrogant asshole he had become.

Bella often wondered what happened to the old shy Edward from school with long hair that almost covered his eyes and thick, black-rimmed glasses. She used to have the biggest crush on him, but he started to change when they got to college. He started going to the gym more, got a haircut and contacts. Suddenly, he was too good to hang out with her. Then the rumors about him having only one-week girlfriends started, and Bella mourned the loss of the nice guy who once bought almost the entire store in cookies to cheer her up after her mom passed away.

Bella sighed, pushing the memories to the back of her mind. There was no use dwelling on the past anyway.

Remembering what Edward had asked, Bella raised an eyebrow at him and tilted the new bottle of beer towards him. "I think you are smart enough to see what I'm having, Cullen."

He hummed and ordered a shot of bourbon.

Edward turned to her, but Bella kept her sight on the rows of bottles in front of her. He cleared his throat, and Bella watched him through the corner of her eye. He looked . . . nervous.

"What is it, Cullen?"

He sighed and knocked back another shot, asking the barman to leave the bottle. "Since we don't have any interviews scheduled tomorrow, and we've been working nonstop the past week, maybe we could leave the city for a bit? I heard about this great beach just an hour away where you can see the whales, and well, you see . . . I was sort of thinking that maybe you and I could—"

"Well, well, well . . . what have we here?"

A hand came down on Edward's shoulder, interrupting his speech. Bella looked up, and she did a double take when she saw the man standing next to Edward.

Tall, broad shoulders, bronze hair, green eyes, and a wicked smile, Bella could've confused the man for Edward had she not been sitting next to the man himself. The only differences were their noses—Edward's was slightly crooked to the right—and their skin tones—the newcomer had a golden tone to his skin, like the one you would get after spending hours under the sun throughout the years.

Still, for a minute there, Bella considered the possibility of long lost brothers until Edward spoke.

"Hello, Finnick," Edward greeted him through clenched teeth. "What are you doing here?"

Finnick leaned against the bar top, shooting a flirtatious smile at Edward. "I'm doing a photo shoot for a swimwear line, and you?"

"I'm covering the FIFA World Cup."

"And I assume this gorgeous lady sitting next to you is your partner?"

Bella smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Bella Swan, and I'm a journalist for the Seattle Sun Times. You're a model, right?"

Finnick took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he kissed the back of it. "_Enchantez_, Miss Swan, and yes, I'm a model. In fact, I have worked with Mr. Grouch right here," he said, smirking at Edward. "We were in Belize, right? After the shoot, we went to this club and got plastered. You wouldn't believe the things this man does when he is ten sheets to the wind!"

Bella leaned in closer, her mind reeling with all the juicy gossip she could get on Edward. "Oh, do tell…"

One hour later, Bella couldn't stop laughing. Finnick, true to his word, had some serious dirty laundry on Edward. From jumping on bar tops and dancing drunkenly to the beat of a rock song, to performing a striptease on a subway pole, and to horrible karaoke nights where he practically slurred the words, Bella ate it all up.

Too bad she wouldn't remember anything the next morning.

She should've stopped on her sixth beer.

Finnick chuckled, sipping from his _piña colada_. Bella was sitting on his lap, and Edward sat next to them with a murderous look on his face.

"So, anyway, after the last photo shoot, we went to this club with loud music and laser lights. We thought it looked cool, y'know? Turned out it was rave night, and somehow, someone had slipped us some E in our drinks because suddenly I couldn't keep my hands off—"

Edward stood up, almost knocking both Finnick and Bella back.

"You know what, man? Let's meet up some other time. We have places to be and things to do, not to mention my partner here looks like she needs to be cut off."

Bella hiccupped. "Oh, pish posh… please finnissshhh what you were saying, Finniiiick!"

Finnick chuckled, exchanging a look with Edward. "Some other time." He winked at her, setting her on the barstool, and then turned to Edward. "Don't leave without calling me, Edward."

Bella watched Finnick walk away, his tight leather pants providing her a nice view of his toned thighs and backside.

"He's got a great ass," Bella slurred, her filter long gone.

"You have no idea," Edward answered, throwing back another shot of bourbon.

Bella's eyebrows rose in surprise and shock.

Edward, realizing what he just said, started spluttering and coughing. "I mean, it's not like—"

"That's kinda hot."

Edward's jaw dropped. "It is?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded, her cheeks warming, and this time her blush wasn't only because of the alcohol in her system.

Edward smirked. "Interesting . . . "

~BoH~

Monday. _Lunes_. In any language, it sucked wind. Another weekend behind them, another precious chance to make progress with Bella Swan squandered.

Sure, there had been "moments" where she'd set down the daggers while the two of them were out and about the city, pulling together the human interest stories and laying the groundwork for the drama of the World Cup matches. Edward had caught Bella more than once looking at him with a moony, far-off longing he vaguely remembered before she started hating his guts.

Each time, though, the good feelings seemed to evaporate just as quickly as they had come on. One step forward, two steps back. _Fuck_, Edward didn't know how much farther back he could go before his ass landed in the Pacific.

The one good thing that could be said about this little trek out to the rainforest of Crepúsculo was that Santiago Oliveira would not be part of it. If Edward had to listen to that smarmy son-of-a-soccer-player—_discúlpame_, FOOTBALL player—talk about his "gift for the game" for one fucking minute longer, he'd need a barf bag attached to his hip. Hopefully, the guy's parents were slightly less grating than the cocky fucker they'd spawned.

"Our bus leaves in ten minutes. Are you ready to go?" Crouched intently over her olive-green backpack, Bella couldn't even be bothered to look at him while she issued the warning.

Was it hot in here, or was it that fucking sliver of cinnamon skin between the top of Bella's skirt and the thin white blouse that was no longer quite fully tucked in? Maybe it was the creamy section of thigh peeking out from the other end? Some combination of the suffocating humidity and his partner's minimal clothing was surely to blame for Edward's inability to stop leaking water out of every damn pore.

"Yes, I filled up my water bottle at the hotel like a normal person. What'd you do, Swan, buy out the entire country's supply of Dasani bottles?"

Without dignifying his comment with a reply, Bella gave her backpack zipper a firm tug before looking up. The saddest part was she didn't look the least bit angry or even disappointed. Almost as if she'd just expected him to be an asshole, and there he was walking right into the role like it was written with him in mind.

"Don't expect me to carry that for you," he added, infuriated by her non-response.

"When have I ever asked you to do anything for me, Edward?"

The fire in her eyes should have thrilled him. Negative attention was better than no attention at all, right? Then why did his stomach lurch in that old familiar _you-fucked-up-royally _kind of way?

"_El bus de las diez y quince a Crepúsculo está abordando ahora."_

Bella swept up her backpack and heaved it over her right shoulder, jockeying for a spot by the door. Edward hung back, letting Bella sweat it out while the thick crowd filled in between them. She was playing it cool, all right, not even turning back once to see where he was.

Stepping out into the bright glare of the sun, Edward was just in time to catch Bella's backpack disappearing into the doorway of the bus. Let's see how cool Lois Lane was now, stuffed into a hot bus for the next four hours with some beady-eyed stranger.

_She'll be begging for my company._

Smug smirk firmly in place, Edward boarded the bus, searching for his damsel in distress, only to find Bella deep in conversation with a dark-haired, well-dressed man seated next to her. Slowing his pace in the aisle, Edward cleared his throat and waited for Bella to initiate the apology and explain to the stranger that he would need to relocate.

"_Hola!_" she said brightly, gracing Edward with a beautiful smile.

He chuckled. "_Hola._"

The man, puzzled, looked from Bella to Edward and back to Bella. "_¿Desea sentarse con este tipo?_" he asked.

"_No, no_!" Bella answered, grasping the man's arm to keep him from leaving. "Nuh nuh nuh nuh no."

Edward's jaw dropped as understanding dawned. He searched frantically for a place to sit and a chance at regaining a scrap of pride.

"I think there's an empty seat in the back row," Bella offered, so sweetly the man next to her would never suspect the jab she had just delivered.

Edward felt it, though.

As the bus gobbled up the paved highways of Aurora beneath its wheels, Edward stewed in anger and resentment. Three hours later, as the scenery changed to the lush ferns and shade trees of the rainforest, a new attitude rose in his chest: determination.

Bella Swan would be his, even if he had to choke on his pride to make it happen.

~AF~

Edward felt the pulse of time get louder and louder with its passing, and still he had no idea of how to achieve his goal.

Bella was carrying around a beautiful Nikon D4, which had been her excuse for the detour. However, she seemed to take a picture only here and there, so Edward had no idea why she had wanted to hike in the smothering humidity when they should be interviewing the Oliveiras, not that he was in a position to question her behavior since she had unceremoniously told him to stay at the glorified guesthouse, _Hotel El Peón Rojo_.

He couldn't have that, of course. If he wanted to get the girl, he would have to make use of the limited time he had. He wanted her; he always had. The silent distance she had suddenly placed between them made the want unbearably acute.

Walking among the lush greens, Bella looked like she belonged in the forest, an exotic bird with her hair twisted in a messy bun and curly tendrils about her face that mimicked the newborn ferns that surrounded them. Edward found himself incapable of directing his camera at anything but her. In a way, her resolve to pretend he wasn't there worked in his favor at the moment. In a way…

"You don't even know what to do with that camera, do you?" he asked when his water supply ran out, and she showed no intent to return to the main road. Mocking her sounded like a good way to get her to react, but Bella only walked towards an orchid, and standing below it, snapped a picture. She extended a trembling finger and softly caressed the edge of a waxy petal.

Edward's lens was expectedly focused on her, so when she ran a finger under her eye, he knew the droplet she spread was not sweat.

"Bella?" he asked, concerned and disconcerted.

"Why did you even come along, Edward?" she snapped. "To complain about the heat some more? Are you thirsty? Am I in the way of a perfect picture?"

"What the fuck?" he blurted, further befuddlement in his voice that was laced subtly with irritation.

"I wanted to come here alone," she whispered so softly he was sure she didn't mean for him to hear.

They walked back to _El Peón Rojo_ in uncomfortable silence.

*tremble*

"_¿Qué quiere decir con que sólo hay una habitación disponible?_"

Apparently, there had been a misunderstanding, and the hotel clerk had assumed they would be staying together together since another crew of journalists had had the same idea they did— interview Oliveira's family and friends.

Bella was fuming, ranting in Spanish and gesticulating wildly. Edward thought it was adorable…and hot, quite frankly.

"You!" She pointed an accusing finger, making Edward drop his delighted smirk.

"You are sleeping on the floor," Bella hissed.

"Oh, no. I can't do that. I have a weak back," Edward lied, theatrically bending backwards by the waist. "I'm sure the bed is big enough for both of us."

"Where would your ego fit though?" she asked with a saccharine voice, and batted her eyelashes.

Accepting her insolent capitulation, his pleased grin was back in full force, and Bella wanted to pull his hair and scream obscenities at him. The idea of pulling his hair invited unwanted imagery into her mind that Bella quickly dispelled, waving a hand as if it were a bothersome fly.

*tremble*

"Do you have to move so much? What are you doing—whacking off?"

"Ha! You wish you could see something that hot!" Edward said and continued to lie on his stomach, head on his arms, moving his foot back and forth, back and forth. The smile he wore would have driven Bella to actual violence. He was lucky there was absolute darkness.

Bella snorted.

"Right," she scoffed, but that sight would not be easily chased away.

*tremble*

"Will you stop with the moving?" Bella, frustrated beyond belief that he had woken her up when she had finally fallen asleep, yelled and punched Edward, only to realize he was holding her.

"Ouch! What?"

"Stop moving!"

"M'not," Edward mumbled, securing his hold on her, almost immediately asleep again.

Bella thought about extricating herself from the boa-like grip he had on her waist, but she bit her lip and cuddled him.

She could go back to her aloofness in the morning.

*tremble*

"_¡Buenos días!" _the manager greeted them when they entered the quaint dining room. "I hope the earthquake didn't keep you up."

"There was an earthquake?" Bella asked her, wide-eyed.

"_Uno pequeñito_. Nothing to worry about." She smiled reassuringly.

"It appears you owe me an apology," Edward leaned down to whisper in her ear. Distracted by the goose bumps he saw rising on her neck and shoulders, he couldn't escape the elbow she dug into his ribs.

As he prepared an appropriate response, the ground jumped like magic beans under their feet for a couple of seconds.

Before they could make sense of what had happened, their world started swinging and shaking, making the small hotel rain debris and trinkets on them for an endless minute.

When the earth's raging and deafening sounds stopped, and the gray dust cloud slowly settled, the yelling and crying started to filter through Bella's consciousness.

"Bella! Bella, are you okay? You are bleeding…we have to get out of here!"

Bella saw her own hand lift and touch the blood that dripped down Edward's brow before she passed out.

* * *

**Authors' Note: **We thank you all for the overwhelming response to this story- all the follows, favorites, reviews, and especially the JOINERS and DONORS to the cause.

Now, it's up to you! The rest of this story will become a collaboration among any and all who would care to join us, **AVAILABLE ONLY BY DONATING TO THE RELIEF EFFORT**. Don't leave these two stranded in the quake! Join us and/or donate to the cause! (Please find the link on our profile to the Fandom Gives blog.)

**IF YOU WANT TO WRITE A CHAPTER (200-800 words), join our Facebook Group First Responders **(see the link on our profile)** OR CONTACT any of the three of us **(see our profile for our fanfic author links or PM this account, First Responders)** and we'll fill you in on how this works!** Meanwhile, check out the Fandom Gives blog (also linked on our profile), make a cash donation to the relief effort to secure your copy of the compilation, write a story, donate an item to the online raffle, sign up to beta or make a banner, and SPREAD THE WORD! All are ways to help- choose yours! This is all about using our words to make a difference, and we're so pleased to have your support.

Thank you from all of us!  
Mina, Ana, and BoH


	3. CAPÍTULO TRES

**DISCLAIMER: **All places and characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real places and persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

* * *

_**CAPÍTULO TRES**_

~ladyeire3~

Edward's thoughts ran a mile a minute as he limped out of the building cradling Bella. He could see one gash that ran along a natural part in her hair on top of her head, and he thought he noticed another near her temple. He'd already taken stock of his own injuries. Most were minor and nothing more than irritating with the exception being his ankle. He nearly dropped Bella when a small tremor moved a piece of debris directly in his path but was just able to keep himself upright, much to his own amazement. His ankle throbbed with each step, but he'd be damned if he was stopping his forward movement.

Everywhere he turned, there was rubble littering the street and people searching for their loved ones. He'd give his left nut to know if there was a damn hospital anywhere close though he was fairly certain he'd be lucky to find a doctor, let alone a whole troop of them.

After another five minutes of hobbling, Bella started to squirm and moan. Any other time, those two actions combined might actually make him happy. Now was not that time.

"I've got you. You're safe now. Okay, Bella?"

"Whasat? Wha'happened?"

Her voice was shaky and rough. It pained him to see this woman he'd always considered small but mighty just seem small.

~boo1414~

Bella started to come to and became more aware of her surroundings. Her first thoughts were: _What the hell happened, and why is Edward Cullen carrying me?_

"Put me down!" she demanded, smacking him weakly on the chest.

"Quit struggling, Bella. I think you have a head injury," he answered. "I need to find us some medical attention."

Edward limped along carrying Bella, trying to find help. It was too soon after the disaster. _It would probably be a while before relief services arrived_, he reasoned. He needed to find them both someplace away from the collapsing buildings and safe water to drink. They wouldn't last long in this heat without water. The fact that Bella wasn't fighting him anymore also worried him.

A beat-up pickup truck pulled up alongside them. The bed was filled with the injured. _"¿Necesitan ayuda?"_ the driver called out.

_"__¡Sí, por favor!"_ Edward answered, carrying Bella over.

The truck carefully maneuvered around debris until it pulled up to a large parking lot, where a group of people were putting up a large white tent; it read MFS.

A man in scrubs ran up to the truck. Edward looked up in surprise. "Dad?"

~chinchin unicorn~

If it weren't for the pain, Bella would have preferred to stay in the darkness, but her subconscious was unwillingly pulling her up and into the light. The pounding of a hundred tiny hammers against her skull reminded her that she was indeed still alive even though she felt like death. It hurt to open her eyes, to break the crust sealing her lids shut, to have the light of the morning, afternoon, night—she wasn't really sure—blazing into her sight when she wasn't quite ready for it.

The hand she lifted felt heavy and uncoordinated, and she ended up slapping her own face in her attempt to soothe the aches. The only comfort came when a warmth engulfed her trembling fingers, holding her palm steady, pressing it against a heart rapidly beating beneath layers of cotton and flesh.

"Are you okay?" He was whispering, but to her it felt like he was yelling right into her ear with the way his hot breath caressed her bruised skin.

"Shush…" She tried to shake her head before realizing what a bad idea that was. The hammering increased, and she groaned her agony out loud.

"Stop moving. You're pretty banged up." Fingers smoothed the hair from her face, pressing gently against her throbbing temples, relieving the pressure if only somewhat.

"What happened?" She tried to focus her vision, the blurred edges of her reality slowly coming together from her efforts. Green penetrated before anything else, followed closely by a wild array of bronze, highlighted by the sunlight filtering through. "Edward?"

She couldn't see much of anything beyond his face dipping down closer to hers. That was when she noticed the stain of dried tears, the worried glint of black, the creases of agony lining his forehead, but the flaking blood streaking from the bronze and across his cheek had her heart drumming back to life with concern over his well-being.

The free hand she lifted, aiming to offer back a little bit of the comfort he gave, went ignored as he pressed his face into her stomach. Instead, she buried her fingers in his hair, running through the strands as he breathed his relief into her shirt.

"Edward?" she asked again.

He shook his head, hiding his wet eyes against cotton and soft curves that he'd only dreamed about in the past. He'd never imagined this was how he would finally be able to feel her body so intimately. His fantasies had never included such a disaster.

"I was so worried, Bella," he whispered, his voice choking against his words. "You don't even know."

"How long have I been out of it?" She tried to catch a hint of anything beyond his bronze, but nothing, not the people scurrying by nor the mayhem of panic, gave her a clue.

"Too long for my liking." He lifted his head then, and that was when she confirmed her suspicions, taking in the slight sheen of moisture glistening across his green eyes.

There was no hesitation when she lifted her hand for a second time, caressing his unmarred cheek. "Are you okay?"

His voice cried the tears that wouldn't fall from his eyes. "You wouldn't wake up. Dad said I had to wait, but I just needed you to wake up."

With a long past full of hatred, rivalry, and so much confusion of the heart, it was natural to be bitter when faced with this man's cocky smile and arrogant shrug, but here, with his sadness and desperation written so meticulously across his features, she couldn't help but feel a sort of camaraderie, respect, and—dare she admit it—affection for him. She still wasn't quite sure what had gone down that day, but she knew it was something big, and for the moment at least, all she had was Edward by her side.

"I'm here now."

~Mommymac0508~

The two of them sat there for who-knows-how-long before anyone spoke.

Bella, now awake and feeling more clear-headed, asked, "What happened? Was that an earthquake? How strong was it? How did we get here? And where _is_ here?"

Stunned by the rapid-fire questions, Edward sat for a moment without speaking. Finally, he answered, "Whoa! Slow down, Bella. One question at a time, okay?" He smiled a sweet, crooked smile and said, "Yes, we were caught in an earthquake. I'm not sure of the magnitude, but it was powerful enough to cause a lot of damage. I haven't left your side, so I can't really answer all your questions, but we caught a ride in a truck that was picking up the injured."

Now it was Bella's turn to be stunned. Seeing the wheels turning in her head, Edward put his hand on hers and said, "Whatever you are thinking can wait. I want my dad to check you over now that you're awake."

Edward stood up, leaned down to cradle her head, and pressed a lingering kiss on her temple.

"I'm going to leave you here in my father's good hands. Promise me you won't go anywhere."

~ThisIsReallyHappening~

"Whoa, there. Take it easy," Carlisle Cullen warned, maneuvering Bella back into her recumbent position.

If there were any Cullen in the world Bella would listen to, it would be Carlisle. The man who had been there after her mother's death eased Bella's mind with his soothing words. While she was debating making a run for it, her head throbbed, causing her to still her feet and refrain from moving. She could see Edward in the distance, gathering supplies for the attending doctors, assisting them as much as he could.

_As long as he's safe._

She didn't want to analyze why that thought was so important to her, so instead, she focused on Carlisle listening to her heartbeat.

"One-twenty over eighty. External trauma to the upper right quadrant." Carlisle yelled medical terminology to the attendant beside him. "No evidence of internal bleeding, Paul, but this wound needs to be sterilized. Bella, I need you to stay alert; if you begin to feel dizzy or experience numbness anywhere, tell me immediately."

Bella could barely understand his words. Edward was walking towards them, his face grim with worry. Carlisle worked his magic, cleaning her laceration and ensuring there would be no infection caused by her injury.

As Carlisle poured a liquid over her gash that made Bella gasp from the sting, the radio in the truck blared a broken, fuzzy message:

_"__Manténgase alerta. El centro sismológico advierte al público de la posibilidad de réplicas."_

Bella had barely deciphered the radio host's warning that an aftershock was due before it was too late.

The ground shook, each vibration and jolt louder than the last. As if the planet were angry at its inhabitants, the terrain began to split. Chaos emerged around her, each person knocking into one another like dominoes. Carlisle propelled Bella onto the floor, looming over the top of her as supplies ascended into the air.

"Bellaaaaaa!"

The one voice Bella needed to hear cried from several feet away, the sound deafening her eardrums. She attempted to push Carlisle from her body, but it was to no avail.

Though the ground trembled, it was her heart that convulsed, each beat shuddering her turmoil into a dark abyss that failed to relieve her of any strife.

Her lungs held captive all sources of oxygen as Edward plummeted into the earth's gaping hole.

~postapocalypticdepository~

The movement stopped and a dawning occurred to Edward. He was still alive. Somehow, by the grace of God, Edward became entangled within tree roots and managed to hang on throughout the arduous ninety seconds of violent shaking, narrowly missing the hundred foot drop to his inevitable death as the earth ripped open angrily as if to spit a giant "fuck you" back at him for all of his misdeeds.

The wall of the clinic—the makeshift hospital his dad was treating Bella in—was completely sheared-off, falling below, taking unsuspecting patients, staff, and volunteers in its wake. Edward watched in horror and silently prayed for their souls as the realization hit him.

_I might be next._

Edward understood the precariousness of his situation as he dangled above the carnage below. His legs teetered over what remained from the tree as the apex of his groin hovered, perfectly balanced as if an unbroken wishbone, and right now he was definitely wishing, acknowledging that any shock to the unstable earth over his head could send him into the chasm as well. He offered words of contrition and a promise to be a better person, a better son, a better man—_better to Bella—_if granted the strength to endure this test.

"Edward!"

He recognized the strained voice from what seemed like miles away.

"Edward! Where are you?" The words that came from Bella's mouth couldn't be any more beautiful even if sung by seraphim.

Fearful of jostling the earth around him, Edward offered a careful reply, "Bella, down here! I need a rope or some bed sheets tied together. Please hurry, but be careful! Don't come over to the edge. I'm tangled in roots, but they may give way."

Bella managed to extract herself from Carlisle, who had just come to after the occurrence.

"Carlisle, snap out of it, quick! I need your help! Edward's alive but fell away with the wall. He needs a rope or bed sheets so we can pull him up."

"Hold on, son," Carlisle added as calmly as possible even though his guts twisted inside.

Bella mustered the strength of ten men and set off on a rampage grabbing any lengthy piece of fabric she could take hold of. She quickly tied the cloth pieces together and employed her knotting skills Charlie had once instilled when he taught her to tie his fishing lures.

"Edward, I need you to talk to me so I know where to start lowering the line."

"Here, Bella. I'm over here."

"Keep talking."

As Bella and Carlisle lowered Edward's only hope, Edward considered what he should say and began his confession.

"Bella, I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you all of these years. There's no excuse for my behavior. I had a crush on you then and still have a big one now. I acted cold and distant because I was hurt you rejected me when you went to the prom with Mike. I was so embarrassed I put myself out there for you like that, but I had to. I had no idea how you felt about what I did because I was too chicken shit to ever ask, but know this: If I get out of here alive, I'll spend my whole life making it up to you. I resolve to be a better person. I don't want to play these games anymore. I've missed out on so much, not having you with me. Life's too precious to spend without the person you're meant to be with. I've always felt that way about you, but my pride has always gotten in the way. If these are my last words, I want you to know that I always thought we could have had something special, and we can still have that something if we survive _this_ . . . and you forgive _me_ . . ."

Bella's heart nearly broke with his confession, but she needed to stay focused through her blurry haze. Edward cared for her, had always cared for her, and wanted to be with her.

"Bella, say something."

The line finally reached him. He secured the sheet tightly around his chest, grabbed hold of the cloth in front, and gave it a tug, signaling Carlisle and Bella could start pulling. Edward worried as much about Bella's take on his revelation as he did about her condition. Knowing her, knowing him, he reasoned that she would think his rant was a ploy to get her to rescue him. So when he heard Bella's next words as he was slowly inched up past the sliding rubble, he wanted to shout with joy and make incredible love to her when they were equally safe and she was once again sound.

"Edward, I've always felt the same way about you, too. Please, just hang on and let us get you up here."

~riv3rboy84~

A couple more pulls and Edward was finally out of the hole.

Carlisle was quick to engulf his son in a hug, thanking God and whoever else was out there for saving him from certain death.

Now more than ever, Carlisle couldn't bring himself to regret applying to work with Doctors Without Borders. He'd always been a bit of a globetrotter—a trait he had passed down to his son—but he hadn't traveled since he met Elizabeth. They had been so happy back in Seattle until a few months after Edward was born and Elizabeth bailed on them.

It was hard at times, trying to balance his career and taking care of Edward, but things soon settled. Once Edward went off to college, Carlisle didn't see the harm in traveling again. In fact, it gave his son the opportunity to visit new places every holiday and his love for photography to reach new levels.

Carlisle had always been proud of his son—except when it came to women. Edward had turned into a bit of a manwhore during college, and Carlisle had no idea how that happened. He'd had his theories, some involving the impatient brunette behind them, but they were just theories . . . until now.

Carlisle pulled back from the embrace, noticing just now that his son was covered from head to toe in dirt. He helped his son shake some of the dirt from his hair and was about to assess any injuries when he was pushed aside by Bella, making him fall on his ass.

"Edward!" exclaimed Bella, wrapping herself around him like a lemur.

Edward didn't know where to put his hands, so he settled for wrapping his arms around her.

"Oh my God, Edward . . . I was so scared!"

Edward shushed her, enjoying her warmth. How many nights had he dreamed about having her in his arms? There had been too many to count, and they never did the reality justice.

"You know, that's the first time you've called me Edward while you're awake," he whispered into her ear, making Bella gasp. He chuckled and pulled back a little to see her eyes.

She slapped his shoulder. "I did not say your name in my—"

Edward shut her up with his lips. His hand tangled in her hair and held her impossibly closer while his lips and tongue claimed the mouth he'd been dying to taste for so long. Bella's legs tightened around his waist, her hands pulling his hair almost too hard. Their lips moved in sync as they put everything they were feeling into that single kiss: desperation, relief, want, need, hate, and maybe a bit of love. For one blissful moment, the chaos around them disappeared, and all that was left was the person in each other's arms.

Carlisle chuckled, watching the new couple, when a hand appeared in front of him.

He looked up, his heart racing when his eyes took in the woman in front of him. Dark hair, skin the color of brandy and grey eyes. She was a mess. Her jeans were ripped at the knees, and the t-shirt she wore had dirt and mud stains. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and sweat covered her forehead and upper lip.

Still, Carlisle has never seen a woman as beautiful as she.

_"__Necesitas ayuda? _Do you need help?" she asked him.

Carlisle took her hand and stood up. _"Gracias . . ."_

_"__Esmeralda, _but you can call me Esme."

Carlisle smiled. "I'm Carlisle."

They shook hands, and Carlisle couldn't ignore the way his heart raced at the contact or the way Esme blushed when he smiled at her.

_Yeah, applying for this job was a good idea indeed._

~rockraven244~

Bella watched a starry-eyed Carlisle talk to a tiny, dark skinned woman. She hadn't noticed her a few moments ago and wondered where she came from.

A quick shake of her head caused her to lose her balance.

"Hey," Edward said, his arms wrapping around her. "Are you okay?"

"A little dizzy." Bella closed her eyes and focused on centering herself.

"Okay, listen. We need to move," the woman said, a lovely lilt in her voice that reminded her of her mother. "This area is not safe. Let's salvage what we can and get away from this drop."

Her statement quickly reminded them of the dire situation they were in.

"Edward, Bella," Carlisle's voice rang out, "use whatever you can find to make carryalls, and collect all of the salvageable medical supplies. Esme and I will do a quick walk-through of the area to make sure we don't leave anyone behind."

Bella found a sheet in the rubble and ripped it in half. She tied the ends of one half together and handed it to Edward before starting on another bag for herself.

She watched as he slipped the material over his head and shoulder, thankful that they had been able to save him. Her breathing wavered and tears filled her eyes as she imagined what could have happened.

Edward took her face into his hands and kissed her. "It's okay. I'm right here. I'm here."

She nodded and pushed her face into his chest, relishing the warmth that spread through her body.

She took another breath and pushed away from him.

"Help me lift this shelf. Let's stock up on the first aid and medications first," Edward said as he looked around at what was left of the hospital. "Be careful of the glass."

They lifted the cabinet and pushed it back against the wall.

Most of the vials were shattered, but there were tubes of ointments and bandages that were usable.

She started to move toward the far corner of the room when a loud rumble filled the air. Before she knew what was happening, she was in Edward's arms.

Her eyes were on the hospital as he ran toward the trees. The little building looked like it was on a wave in the ocean. It swayed and rolled before collapsing on its side. A huge plume of dirt rose in the air, and debris flew over the edge of the mountain.

After a few moments, Bella started registering the noise—yelling, screaming, praying, crying.

"Edward, put me down!"

He stopped and set her on her feet, and they ran hand in hand toward the group in front of them.

"I see my dad up ahead. Let's catch up to him," Edward yelled as he pulled her behind him.

As they caught up to Carlisle, they noticed that Esme was carrying a small child.

"Edward, thank God!" Carlisle reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder. "We need to hurry."

Bella's emotions were getting the best of her, and the softness in Carlisle's eyes and voice had her worried about her own family.

By now, her father would have seen the news about the earthquakes. He was probably worried sick, and she had no way to contact him.

"I need to call Charlie," she said out loud.

Edward looked down at her with worried eyes.

* * *

**Authors' Note: **We thank you all for the overwhelming response to this story—all the follows, favorites, reviews, and especially who joined in this collab and those who donated to the cause. We not only reached our goal, but we knock it out of the park! We raised over US$1,300 and that's thanks to everyone who donated and helped spread the word around. The next chapter will up tomorrow and we hope you enjoy the rest of this story.

**To the guest reviewer who was confused about the location of the story: **They are somewhere in South America where they speak Spanish. They are not in Brazil.

Thank you once again from all of us!

Ana, Born, Mina, Ladyeire, Emily, CeeCee, Nicole,  
Happening, PAD, Riv3rBoy, and Yvonne.  
_—First Responders_


	4. CAPÍTULO CUATRO

**DISCLAIMER: **All places and characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real places and persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

* * *

_**CAPÍTULO CUATRO**_

~ladyeire~

Esme cuddled the little boy in her arms as he cried. Dekoe and his family lived on the outskirts of the village and had been some of her biggest supporters since coming back ten years ago. She was all he had now. His parents were in the tent when the first aftershock hit and fell into the chasm created by the force. He was not yet three and an orphan. Never in her life had she been more thankful to return to her village than after completing her degree in the U.S.

Laying her cheek on top of his little head, she took stock of where they were. There wasn't time to pay attention to the direction as they ran. The only objective was to get the hell out of the way. Almost everyone who had survived the aftershock was standing around, trying to catch his breath and take stock of who was worse off than before.

Carlisle was speaking about finding a satellite phone to a young woman and a younger man Esme assumed was his son. The girl, while most definitely a stranger, had the look of one of her people. Tilting her head, she caught a look that reminded her of someone she'd known as a child. Rather than open the old wound the loss of her favorite cousin had created, she turned to look at Carlisle. She took her time taking in the handsome doctor from Doctors Without Borders. He was tall and lean with hair the color of the wheat fields she'd seen while living in the United States. Even dulled by the dirt caked in it, she could tell it would shine in the sun when clean.

Holding Dekoe closer, she chided herself for such silly thoughts in the face of such enormous loss.

"You won't find any communication here that is in working order, I'm afraid. We'll need to gather anything of use and pack all the survivors into available vehicles to head back to the city. Just outside of the village, I know where there are a few old but functional buses we can use."

She was standing very close to Carlisle when she spoke, and as he turned to listen, her tongue twisted around the words she meant to say. It had been so long since she had spoken English regularly that she feared her words were hard to understand. Tumbling over whole sentences because a man looked at her was ridiculous.

"I'll go get the buses now. Carlisle, you tend to the injured."

She turned quickly, avoiding the handsome man's eyes, and whistled for one of the young village men to follow her. An hour later, they were back with buses, rickety as they were, to begin loading the survivors and get them all to safety.

~Mommymac0508~

Slowly they got up and started to get busy. Edward and Bella were looking for anything that might be used as supplies while Carlisle and Esme tended to the injured.

When all was done, Carlisle said, "We need to get to the buses and load everything and everyone up before another aftershock hits." He turned to look at Esme, still holding the child, and pleaded, "Please stay close to me."

After hearing his dad, Edward looked to Bella, checking her over with his eyes again. With a shaking hand, he grabbed Bella's and said, "Please don't let go. I need to feel you next to me at all times. _Please_."

Bella looked deeply into his eyes. She could see so much in them: fear, hope, need, and something she wasn't sure of.

Softly, she answered, "I will stay close to you with all that I have. I won't let go."

Pulling Edward close, she held him tight for a moment before stepping back. Still holding hands, they both took a deep breath and turned to Carlisle, ready for his direction. Esme then turned to everyone and said, "Okay, everyone! We need to get to the city where it is safe, away from the dangers of aftershocks. We need to board these buses, so please keep up, and if you need any help, call out. We don't want anyone left behind."

All around Edward and Bella, the shattered victims rose to start the long hike to the bus and to safety.

~Breath-of-Twilight~

Bella tried to stay true to her word and not let go of Edward. For the most part, she did just that, clenched her hand in his and held on for dear life. She had an odd feeling coursing through her. Even though Edward had been in her life for far longer than she could recall, she had never looked at him quite the way she had in the last few hours. She could no longer picture a future, her future, without him in it.

She sat quietly contemplating her feelings, those for Edward, those for the devastating events that had unfolded that very day, and those that were back home with her family who were no doubt worried sick about her.

She noticed Esme motioning for her and looked longingly at Edward's sleeping form. She didn't want to wake him nor did she have any intention of breaking her word to Edward, but the desperation in Esme's eyes as she attempted to help a profusely bleeding woman while holding a rag to a gash on an unconscious man's throat at the same time spurred her forward and away from Edward's comforting touch.

.

.

.

By the time Bella finally took in the surrounding area, the rusty bus was turning onto a surprisingly debris-free stretch of road. During the approximately four-hour drive, Bella and Esme had patched up, aided, comforted, or cried with almost every person on the bus. Bella sighed and held her hand out to grab onto the nearest bench seat, feeling her head fill with dizziness and her body sway with the bus's movements just as Edward's wild eyes met her fluttering ones.

"Bella. Bella?"

She attempted to smile although she was sure it was anything but. "I'm right here. I'm fine, just exhausted. We made it to the next town. Everything here seems…well, almost normal," she whispered as her eyes left Edward's and she again peered out of the bus's mud-caked windows. Houses stood proud and pretty in the rows they had always been in. People sat outside on their porches, small radios at their sides, listening intently. The sense of loss and worry of the unknown was thick in the air and easy to read on each person's face as the bus drove by, but aside from the town's obvious fear, likely for what was going on in the town the big bus had just left, everyone…everything here was completely normal. Allowing her eyes to take it all in, Bella finally felt hope, hope that they could help the injured recover and slowly begin to rebuild whatever was left behind from the thunderous quakes that had gutted the neighboring town.

~ThisIsReallyHappening~

The atmosphere of the town seemed almost deceptive. Beneath the beauty and welcome that the residents made as they waved at the incoming bus lay a sweet buzzing of gossip that Bella was sure would begin once they heard the specific news of the earthquake nearby. They would want details, graphic descriptions that Bella wanted no part of. Both she and Edward had barely escaped with their lives as it was.

Finally, the bus came to a grinding halt, jerking the passengers onboard forward. Grabbing what little they had salvaged, Bella followed behind Edward, shuffling onward like sheep without a destination. When Bella's feet hit solid ground, she and the rest of the travelers stood aloof until a frail, old gentleman with lines that had withstood the test of time approached them with concern.

"Welcome to Amanecer. I am Ephraim. I own the _mercado_—or market, as your people might be more accustomed to—just down the road. We all heard the devastating news."

Carlisle shook Ephraim's withered hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Yes, it has been quite the journey. We have come to get help for the many who were injured."

"But first, let's get you all settled. You are hungry, are you not?"

With the previous desolate expression long gone, Edward looked up in hope. "I could eat."

.

.

.

Ephraim's hospitality was more than they deserved. He boiled many rare ingredients into a soup that created an explosion of flavors on Bella's palate. Every person from the bus was now huddled in small groups, hovering over bowls, and speaking whispered words.

To Bella's surprise, she moved a strand of Edward's hair from falling into his bowl as he stood, hunched over, devouring the food like a madman. She hoped Edward didn't take it as an insolent gesture, but he gazed down at her, smiling despite their circumstance. The physical contact warmed her involuntarily as if she had no control over her own body.

"There's no use, you know," Edward teased, letting the coil of hair bounce back. "It has a mind of its own. Besides, that's the least of my problems."

"You survived death," Bella recounted, trying to make light of the situation. "Next on your bucket list: buy hair gel."

"And if I don't?"

Bella tapped her chin, pretending to contemplate a consequence. "I'll cut it all off. Think of it as a favor. For you. For mankind. For soups everywhere."

Edward nudged her with his shoulder. "You play dirty, woman, but I like it!"

Bella giggled, placing her bowl down on the table as Carlisle cleared his throat.

"All right, everyone, Ephraim is willing to give us all the supplies we need in order to help those affected by the earthquake. Those who wish to help out, circle around, and we'll divide up the responsibilities . . ."

Bella half-listened as Carlisle divided up chores for those willing to volunteer, too caught up in her own thoughts. As much as Bella needed the rest, there were still people suffering, and she wanted to help. They needed to collect what they could and get back immediately. Not only that, but she still had a job to do in Aurora. She knew she had to return to cover the FIFA World Cup, but she wasn't ignorant to all that had transpired in such a short period of time.

Would the pictures Edward was so passionate in taking change into bursts of vibrant images, or would the image of her remain as they always had—black, white, and uninspiring?

~postapocalypticdepository~

Everyone worked quickly to move the supplies onto the bus. Having worked part-time loading trucks for FedEx while still in college, Edward was responsible for packing everything as tightly as possible, making things fit perfectly, much like Tetris configurations. His structured arrangement of all the supplies additionally afforded him an opportunity to create comfortable seating for everyone as well as a cozy little nest at the back of the bus away from the others where both he and Bella could have some needed privacy to discuss their newly formed relationship.

Edward also hoped he could return the favor by providing a peaceful place for Bella to sleep. She had stubbornly refused to go back to Aurora, and considering that she was still recovering and should be resting from her head injury, he reasoned she was still in danger of blood clots and could have complications from her trauma. That additional incentive made it imperative for Bella to relax and for Edward to care as much as he could for her. Once everyone got back to the quake zone, he knew there would be little sleep for anyone until organized relief teams such as the Red Cross began taking over.

Bella boarded the bus—the one that was taking everyone back to the shaken land of despair and uncertainty—and took her seat next to Edward. For the next few hours and on into the night she _wouldn't_ think about the dreadfulness: the horrific sights, agonizing sounds, stomach-turning smells, and acrid tastes. Instead, she would concentrate on a handsome man and his caring soft touches while feeling a heavenly mound of pillows and blankets beneath her, thankful she felt at ease and comfy like a princess without the pea.

With Bella almost asleep, Edward couldn't keep his query in any longer. He cleared his throat, signaling he needed her desired attention before she completely nodded off. "Bella, are you awake? I promise, sweetheart, I'll let you sleep after this; however, there has been something that has been bothering me for a long time that I need to ask you."

"Go on." Any of Bella's sleepiness pushed itself aside as she felt somewhat afraid and slightly anxious, not knowing what Edward had been harboring all of these years.

"Here goes." Edward took a deep breath, steadying himself for any answer she gave. "Bella, going back in time to prom again, I truly have to know _why_ you never acknowledged my invitation, my pictures." Edward gently caressed Bella's hand, letting her know he'd accept any answer as long as he finally got one.

"Edward?" Bella looked at him as if she could see straight into his soul. As long as she didn't reach into his chest and rip out his heart with her words, he'd take whatever she was willing to offer.

Before Edward clarified his request, he paused briefly and watched Bella intently. He watched how beautiful her face was when lit by the dancing flashes of the golden street lamps as the bus passed underneath them. He observed how gorgeous her brown eyes were at this time of night. Black consumed nearly every bit of them, leaving her two perfect domes—her planetariums—filled with spritely stars, trailing comets . . . unending hope, twinkling, casting the reflection of her world back at him every time a flash passed by. He also spied her luscious lips, the heart-shaped ones always frequenting his dreams, usually plump, moist, and full, but now dried, split, and withered from unforeseen circumstance but nevertheless, completely desirable because they still belonged to her. In fact, there wasn't anything undesirable about her. Edward wanted it all, just the way she was. He always had, and he knew he always would.

"Just tell me, Bella, please. Do you know how much courage it took for me to stage those pictures? I bought a brand new suit with money I earned working. I also tamed my unruly hair _without having to cut it_. I even bucked up and went buff, getting naked. I honestly didn't know how to ask you. I was so nervous. I figured if I combined the two things I was passionate about, you and pictures, I'd be able to pull it off. I'd _bare_ myself and become vulnerable so you'd see my sincerity, my honesty, my admiration for you. I'd never done anything like that before in my life, nor have I done anything like that since. That highway pile-up of a mistake is all I've thought about. _You_ are all I've thought about. Your rejection killed me. I was crushed and have never gotten over it—over you. After that fiasco, I just didn't care and didn't give much thought to steady relationships. I couldn't stand the thought of being hurt again. No one could match up to you, so it wouldn't matter. I had already fucked up."

"Oh God, Edward, I'm so sorry—if I had only known." Tears pricked at the corners of Bella's eyes. "When I discovered the envelope in my locker, I was caught off guard. I wasn't sure who put it in there. I wondered if I had a stalker or was being bullied. I carried it around with me for weeks, not opening it or knowing what to expect. After I had already picked out my dress that _Mike wanted_, to go with his tux, I finally got up enough courage to look.

"It was a Friday night a few weeks before prom. I figured it was safe to open the envelope because I hadn't gotten any other notes, phone calls, or threats. When I realized that they were pictures of you, I felt so embarrassed. It was as if I was looking at porn. You made me blush so hard, I thought I'd spontaneously combust. I couldn't believe _you_—meek, quiet, shy-guy Edward—could, would, _did_ give me pictures like that. You scared me. I didn't know who you were after that. Being raised with my dad's ideals, all that kept running through my head was that you were a 'sex-crazed pervert,' and after you started pursuing your long line of other girls, my belief was validated. I had no idea you had put so much thought into my invitation." Bella cupped Edward's face. "Had I known you had staged such a perfect, poignant, purely artistic grand gesture, I honestly would have ditched Newton and gone with you."

Even with dry cracked lips, Bella's kiss upon Edward's mouth couldn't be any nicer, any sweeter.

There was now no doubt in Bella's mind that in Edward's eyes, she had always been his vibrant inspiration, a bursting botanical garden, an equatorial rainforest of color, and she would never again have to worry about him only seeing her in merely black and white.

~RockRaven~

Edward was relieved and embarrassed by Bella's confession.

A '_sex-crazed pervert_' ... he chuckled and looked over at Bella's sleeping form.

What a fool he had been. All of these years, he'd been running away and avoiding relationships, all because of a misunderstanding.

He couldn't help but wonder if she'd kept the pictures...

"Edward," Carlisle said quietly, sitting on the seat nearest him.

"Hey, Dad. How are you doing?"

Carlisle sighed and nodded. "Okay. How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay. Exhausted but okay."

"Have you gotten any rest?"

"A little," he nodded, looking over at Bella and sweeping her hair off of her face.

"How is she doing? Any symptoms of concussion?"

"Not really." Edward frowned. "She's been a little dizzy though."

Edward looked back toward his father and found him smiling softly at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You finally caught your silhouette," Carlisle's voice was almost a whisper.

Edward considered Carlisle's choice of words. Looking back, Bella did seem like a silhouette in high school, an image he was never quite able to catch in full color.

"I think so, yes."

Edward raised his eyes toward his father who was still smiling, but his eyes were on a petite, fiery _latina_ sitting toward the front of the bus.

"What about you, Pops?"

Carlisle, with wide eyes and pink cheeks, looked at his son.

"What about me?"

"You gonna make a move or what? Don't be like your idiot son and let the moment pass you by."

Carlisle frowned before glancing toward the front of the bus.

Edward laughed quietly as his father stood up and walked toward the woman that had caught his eye.

.

.

.

Esme could see Carlisle out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him.

He was talking to his son, who was quite handsome and quite a bit older than she would have expected, given Carlisle's youthful appearance.

When Esme returned to South America, she'd been a bit depressed. She had expected that she would find the love of her life in the United States while she attended college.

She'd had elaborate daydreams about falling in love with a dark haired, blue-eyed man. She imagined her children would have her olive skin and his blue eyes. They would vacation in the place where she was born so her children would know who she was, where she came from, and who they were deep down inside. Her culture and heritage were important, and she fully planned to keep them alive.

However, none of that happened. She seemed to be a magnet for _pendejos_ who didn't know how to treat a woman. Her experience had ruined her trust in men and wiped away her dreams of love and happily ever after.

She never would have imagined that she would find the man of her dreams, an American at that, on her own soil. His hair was a little lighter than the man she'd dreamed of for so long, but his eyes were the color of the bluest ocean, and she was completely taken with him.

They'd be working side by side for days until additional help arrived, and she hoped that she'd have the chance to talk to him, get to know him.

She tilted her head, planning to take another peek at the handsome doctor.

When she looked up, she found him walking toward her with a look of determination and confidence that she'd never seen on a man before.

Her stomach flipped, and she felt her cheeks flush.

When he reached her, he took her hand in his.

"When this situation is more settled, I'd like to take you out to dinner," he said abruptly.

She was speechless. Did he just ask her out to dinner?

He shook his head, frowning and scrunching his nose as if angry with himself for the way he just blurted it out. She smiled and squeezed his hand.

"I'd like that very much."

~ Riv3rBoy84~

Bella woke up to the sound of yelling. She sat up, realizing that Edward wasn't next to her, and the bus had stopped on the side of the road. Her head felt heavy, but she wasn't dizzy anymore. Slowly, she climbed down the bus steps and looked around. They seemed to have stopped just an hour away from Crepúsculo. She stretched, keeping an eye out for Edward. She spotted him a few paces away talking to Carlisle, the bus driver Arturo, Esme, and another man who looked like a police officer.

Esme was talking fast and with her hands, and Bella couldn't catch what she was saying. She walked closer until Carlisle noticed her and nudged his son.

Edward turned to look at Bella and smiled, leaving the group to meet with her.

"Hey, you're awake."

Bella kissed his lips. "What's going on?"

Edward scratched the back of his head. "Seems like the road is blocked. I'm not sure. Esme is speaking way too fast for me."

Bella took Edward's hand and walked them back to the group.

_"__Lo siento, no puedo permitirles el paso. El área está siendo evacuada por esta ruta ya que el camino esta bloqueado del otro lado debido a un deslizamiento."_

Esme sighed and translated for Carlisle. "He says he can't allow us to pass. They are evacuating the area, and this road is the only one open for them. There have been landslides that have blocked the other roads."

"But we have medical supplies, and I'm a doctor. I can help," said Carlisle.

Esme translated and the officer nodded. _"Dejeme preguntarle a mi superior,"_ he said, turning on the radio on his shoulder and walking away.

"He's going to ask his superior," Esme translated.

By then, both Bella and Edward had reached them.

"Are you thinking of going back alone?" Bella asked Carlisle.

He shrugged. "They are not letting anyone pass unless it's an emergency response group. Since I'm MSF and have supplies, they might let me get through."

Esme shook her head. "We will have to go back. There is no way they are letting us through." She could hear the officer's radio conversation, and it seemed only authorities and medical teams were going in. Everybody else was going out.

Edward looked down at Bella. "Maybe this is better. I'm still worried about you. You look a bit pale, and from the way you keep squinting, I'm guessing you might have a headache?"

"A little." Bella sighed, feeling conflicted by the situation. She felt a deep need to help. Her connection to this place was so strong, she couldn't help but feel the pull from the small town her family once called home.

Esme, sensing Bella's struggle, placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, _Bellita_. You don't need to feel guilty. You have done so much already, and you need to look out for yourself too." She cupped her face, and Bella was transported back to a time when her mother used to do the same thing. "It's going to be okay."

With those words, Bella broke down. She sobbed against Esme's shoulder, letting her fear, stress, and sorrow flow out of her with each tear. Esme held her tight and whispered words of comfort in her ear, some in English and others in Spanish. When Bella finally felt the tears stopping, Esme pushed her gently into Edward's arms.

Edward wiped her tears with his thumbs, kissing each cheek right under her eyes. "It's okay, sweetheart. We tried our best."

Bella nodded and kissed him right on the lips. "I know."

A couple of hours later, Esme and Carlisle, along with their supplies, got into a military jeep, while Edward, Bella and Dekoe went back to the bus. Esme had convinced the officer to let her go with them since she spoke both Spanish and English. She would be Carlisle's translator, since he knew only basic Spanish.

Bella and Edward were to take Dekoe to Esme's mom, Carmen, when they got back to Aurora. They were also going to see if they could return to their hotel and try to call Charlie to let him know they were all right.

As Arturo made a U-turn, all the passengers waved and called out wishes of good luck to Carlisle and Esme.

Edward locked eyes with Carlisle, exchanging a simple nod, each holding the hand of the woman that meant the world to them.

Bella leaned back against Edward, letting sleep claim her once again. Edward held her tight and let his eyes close, knowing the next time he would open them, they'd be safe and sound back in Aurora.

~chinchin unicorn~

A bed never felt so good. Exhausted, hungry, and most definitely smelly, Bella couldn't be bothered to pull back the duvet, preferring to keep her filth on top. The only thing that made the deal sweeter was when Edward crawled in next to her. She smiled up at him without showing her teeth because, dear lord, it had been forever since she'd seen a toothbrush.

But Edward had no reservations of the sort. He was quick to sweep her into his arms, her cheek pressed to his beating heart, his legs tangled with hers, their bodies so tight against the other's that she wasn't sure where she ended and he began. They lay like that, taking comfort within each other's hold, ignoring the seconds ticking by as the horror and sorrow of the past few days melted over them. She wondered if she'd ever see them again. Dekoe. The other survivors. How life had changed so fast in so little time.

"Edward?" Bella whispered, her soft voice barely audible. He hummed his acknowledgement, his hand lifting, rubbing soothing strokes against her back. "I hate what's happened, but I'm glad that through it all, we were together."

He froze, his breath catching in his lungs as he captured her eyes with his. A small pucker grew in between her brows at his silence. He laughed, this tiny airy sound, as he kissed that pucker away. "I feel guilty as fuck, but this is the happiest I've ever been."

She welcomed the kisses placed across her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, following the bloom of her blush across her flesh. The laughter bubbled out at his playfulness. "I know, but maybe this is a good thing, us working together. We can do good here. Let's do our job and help these people. They'll need it now more than ever."

Edward's heart beat faster with each word she spoke. The beauty that caught his eyes so long ago sparked through from inside of her, and he couldn't help but feel that one emotion swell inside of him. Should he say it—those three little words—so soon after their discovered affection for one another?

With his mind wild with questions, he did the one thing that now seemed natural to him. Kissing her. So sweet. His lips on hers as they shared an act he'd only ever dreamed about before. Maybe it was that uncertainty or the events that had passed, but Edward couldn't help himself when he pressed harder, deeper, until her back was flat on the bed, her hair fanned out around them.

He grabbed onto those strands, wrapping his fingers around the silk, no matter how much she protested, how dirty she said they were. He didn't care. Not about that or the bad breath or the dirt covering both of them because if there was one thing he learned from everything that had happened, it was that life was short and took you on one hell of a ride. If you blinked, you might miss it. This was one ride Edward was not willing to miss.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?" she hummed as his lips vibrated against her throat.

"I love you." This time, she froze, and his heart stopped as sudden regret crept over him. "I know whatever this is hasn't been—"

The rest of his words were lost as she wrapped her fingers around his neck, pulling his head down so fast that his mouth crashed almost painfully against hers. But it was a good sort of pain, a desperate sort, as she pulled and he pushed, until her legs were wrapped around his waist, digging her heels into his flesh, driving him deeper against that warm spot that was so sensitive.

She urged him on, encouraging his hips to press forward, rubbing his desire against hers, uncaring of the layers of cotton and denim between them. Edward's tongue found her skin, coaxing moan after moan from her lips with each picture he drew as his hips picked up speed, pressed harder, until even he couldn't help himself from falling, joining her as she fell into the abyss, consumed by their desire.

"Fuck...Bella..." he whispered, his breath heavy.

The look she gave him lit up her eyes as she ran her hand across his cheek. "Edward...I love you too."

She really did. Maybe their declarations were a bit unconventional, but there was no denying how right they felt, how happy it made her, how her heart couldn't be contained within the small cavity in her chest with the amount of love that was bursting from it. And when Edward smiled at her, when he showered her face and her neck and her collarbone with kisses, she knew there was no way she'd ever regret saying it.

~boo1414~

"I'm too tired to move, but God, I need a shower," Bella groaned.

"Not a complaint, I hope?" Edward joked.

Bella rolled to her side to look at him. "No complaints here," she said, cupping his face in her hand. "I'll never complain that we finally found each other."

"Good," he breathed. They lay there quietly for a moment, looking into each other's eyes.

"Now then, about that shower..." He grinned, getting up from the bed. Scooping her up, he headed for the bathroom.

"Edward! What are you doing? I do know how to walk, you know."

"Just relax, baby. Let me take care of you, please?" He set her on her feet and turned on the water in the shower. While he waited for the water to heat, he slowly removed her clothes, kissing the newly exposed skin as he went. After removing his own clothes, he pulled her with him into the shower. The hot water felt like heaven; both of them groaned at the sensation.

"Tip your head back, Bella. Let me wash your hair," Edward said as he reached for the bottle of shampoo. He gently scrubbed her scalp with his long fingers, making her shiver. After rinsing out the soap from her hair, he followed the trails of water running down her body with his tongue. She was so beautiful; he couldn't get enough of her. Her taste, her smell. They were overwhelming him. He dropped down to his knees and looked up at her, his eyes dark, silently asking permission. Nodding, Bella wove her fingers into his hair.

He gently picked up her leg and put it over his shoulder, placing wet kisses up the inside of her thigh.

"Edward, please," she begged.

He smiled and continued, his lips, teeth and tongue driving her wild.

"Oh, God," she moaned. She was still sensitive from before; it wouldn't take much for her to come again.

He slipped two fingers inside of her and sucked her clit into his mouth, swirling around it with his tongue.

"Come for me, Bella," he demanded, his voice her undoing. She came, clenching down on his fingers, calling out his name.

Crawling back up her body, he pulled her close and kissed her. "Let me show you how much I love you," he whispered.

"Let's show each other," she answered back, turning off the water and pulling him toward the bedroom.

* * *

_**Next chapter is the last chapter and will be up right away. Let us know what you think!**_

_**—First Responders**_


	5. CAPÍTULO CINCO

****DISCLAIMER: ****All places and characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real places and persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

* * *

_**CAPÍTULO CINCO**_

~BOH~

"Yes, Dad . . . Mmhmm . . . I know . . ."

Bella's voice was a soft thrum vibrating against Edward's cheek. He was damn proud of himself for behaving, considering his mouth was inches from her nipple, but a deal was a deal. She'd agreed to stay in bed—naked—while she called home, as long as Edward promised to keep quiet and keep his lips and fingers from roaming.

Closing his eyes helped ease the tortuous temptation of the tight pink bud well within the reach of his tongue. Bella's fingernails scraped a lulling rhythm across his scalp, pulling him into a deep, contented stupor._ So far, so good._

"We will, Dad . . . Edward Cullen . . . Yes, _the_ Edward Cullen from Forks, but he's changed . . ."

Bella was fighting the good fight, and Edward could not have been happier to hear her sticking up for him—for _them_.

_You tell him, baby,_ Edward cheered—silently, as promised.

"_No_, Dad, you definitely won't be needing your shotgun!"

"_Wha—_"

"Shh!" Bella scolded, pushing firmly on the back of Edward's head and forcing his lips to her nipple.

"Nothing, Dad, just an aftershock."

_I'll give you an aftershock, Bella Swan! _

_All bets are off!_ Edward flicked his tongue and nibbled and licked and nibbled some more.

"Yep, okay, I'll call you when we know more, bye!"

Edward chuckled against her skin as the handset tumbled out of Bella's hand and crashed against the lamp on the nightstand.

"You should probably be a little bit more careful. That telephone is our umbilical cord to the outside world," he teased.

"Maybe you should've thought of that before your little outburst and nipple nibbling!"

"Aww, don't be mad!" Bringing his palm to her breast, Edward shimmied up her body, trailing kisses up her neck, along her cheekbone, and finally, covering her sweet, swollen lips.

Kissing Bella was . . . _damn! _He'd waited a long time for her—sweet and sassy, soft and feisty, smart, tender-hearted, serious and fun-loving. She was everything he'd ever imagined and more.

Her fingers crawled through his hair again—did she know how much he loved that?—gathering his hair into her fist, and _YANK! _

"Ouch! What'd you do that for?"

Edward slapped away her hand and rubbed the tender spot while glaring at the mean, naked girl who'd betrayed him.

"You're lucky I didn't kick you in the nuts. What if my dad heard you?"

"What if he did? You're a grown up person! You can sleep with anyone you want! Well, not anyone, but you can sleep with me!"

His aggravation was confusing him, and Bella was smiling.

"I have to call my boss, and I don't want you anywhere near me when I do it."

Rolling away from him, she went to the closet, grabbed the robe, and hid her body under a mountain of terrycloth. Hands firmly planted on hips, Bella glared at him, drawing her eyes to the manhood dangling between his legs, which he could feel shriveling up like a raisin in the hot South American sun.

"Where the hell am I supposed to go?" he asked.

"Why don't you go take some pictures?"

~AF~

"Go take pictures?" Edward sputtered, incredulous. He felt like a dismissed two-year-old and bit his tongue to keep his inner jerk in check. _Old habits die hard_ had never sounded truer to him.

She nodded once emphatically. Bella had this idea running circles in her head, and she needed to concretize it. Edward's gorgeous, naked, willing, and available body was not conducive to that.

"Yes. I'm not talking with Emmett while contemplating putting you in my mouth."

Edward groaned, burying his face in the pillow.

Only Bella could tear him in two so completely. He was half turned on and already imagining what Bella had just said and half repelled by the idea of Emmett in the mix, however oblique the reference.

The mental image of Emmett's infamous hairy butt helped Edward make the final decision, and he left, trying to suppress the impulse to grab his camera bag but finally succumbing.

Bella watched Edward leave with a mixture of relief and regret.

She wanted to write about what had happened in Crepúsculo. God knew she had enough firsthand information. She had no doubt whatsoever that she could write a raw and compelling piece that would reach inside the hearts and pockets of people who could help.

Yes, she was that confident.

The problem to solve? She wanted that piece to be printed alongside the World Cup coverage they would be doing.

.

.

.

.

"She can't tell me when to," he muttered petulantly as he walked to the lobby of the hotel, where he had spied a comfy couch earlier. He would draw the line there; she had enough control over him as it was.

_Go take pictures_.

Despite his pique, he smiled and shivered faintly when he recalled her lazy afterglow grin.

Jesus, she was so beautiful.

He shook his head and attempted to clear his head of thoughts of her and got ready to sift through the pictures he had taken so far. He had been fortunate enough to have been carrying the bag with his cameras when the first seism hit them. He was particularly interested in the ones from the earthquake. He feared the World Cup would eclipse what had happened in Crepúsculo, and he hoped that amidst those photographs, there was one that might get the attention of the international community.

~MR~

Bella hung up the phone and sat on the bed, squealing with joy.

Emmett had agreed to the piece. In fact, he had given their story a three-page spread, including the front page itself. It was a huge piece, and Bella was sure she could do it, but first she needed to see the photos Edward had taken.

She stood up, changed clothes quickly, and then rushed out of the hotel room in search of Edward.

She didn't have to look for long.

Edward stood just inside the hotel lobby, talking to Carmen. When Edward and Bella had dropped Dekoe with her, Carmen had been very welcoming and even invited them to stay with her, but her place was too small, and Edward and Bella decided to just go back to the hotel since the newspaper was paying for their stay—might as well take a bit of advantage of that.

Bella watched in amusement as Carmen fussed over Edward, handing him a container. Edward just smiled and nodded, no doubt not understanding a single word the woman was saying to him. She left after giving him a warm hug and a kiss on his cheek.

Bella approached Edward, who was inspecting what was inside the container.

"Hey," she greeted him, kissing his cheek. "What do you have there?" She took the container from him and gasped. "Oh my God, I love these!" she exclaimed when she saw the mini-alfajores Carmen had apparently made for them. She popped one in her mouth, moaning when the soft treat dissolved on her tongue, leaving the sweet taste of the _dulce de leche_ in the middle.

Edward, not content with just a peck, went in for a full kiss on her now sugar-covered lips. When he pulled back, Bella was breathless and flushed while Edward licked away the sugar that was now on his lips.

"You're bad," Bella whispered.

"You love it." Edward chuckled at her dazed expression, earning him a mock glare from her. "So, how is Emmett?" he asked her, pulling her by the hand to a couple of couches nearby where he had set up her camera and laptop.

Bella grinned widely and sat next to him. She explained what Emmett wanted to do and how she was thinking of writing the piece. Edward nodded along, eating the sweet treats Carmen had made.

"Feel free to go through my photos. I haven't really looked at them yet. I just finished downloading them to my laptop."

Bella pulled the laptop closer and opened the folder labeled "FIFA WC2014." Bella looked through some of the photos from before the earthquake, giggling when she saw a couple of her that were clearly taken when she wasn't looking, earning a blush from Edward. There were a few from the stadiums they had visited. Edward had an amazing eye for capturing action as she could see from the photos he had taken of some of the teams during practice. She threw her head back in laughter when she saw a photo of Santiago Oliveira picking his nose.

Edward pointed at the screen. "That's front page material right there, Swan!"

Bella laughed harder. "Why do you hate him so much?"

Edward huffed. "He was a douche . . . and he kept hitting on you." He mumbled the last part.

"Aw," Bella crooned, "were you jealous?" She pinched his cheek.

Edward grabbed her wrist and kissed her fingers, then sucked on her index finger, swirling his tongue around it then releasing it with a loud pop. "Not anymore," he whispered and winked.

Bella panted. "Point made, Cullen."

Edward cleared his throat and then tossed the half-empty container on the coffee table. "We should get back to work."

Bella sighed, shaking her head to get rid of all the dirty things she wanted to do to Edward. "You're right; let's get this done."

Edward leaned in to whisper in her ear. "And later, I'll use those treats to cover you in sugar and lick it off your skin."

Bella gulped.

_He's going to be the death of me._

_._

_._

_._

_._

Two weeks went by in a blur. Edward and Bella stayed long enough to cover the World Cup finals, as well as to interview some local authorities. They split their work, Bella handling most of the interviews while Edward made sure to get the photos he needed for the article. He also finished editing the ones he had taken back in Crepúsculo—before and after the earthquake.

They had been able to go back to the small town a couple of days ago but only for a few hours as part of a group of journalists that had arrived to report the catastrophe. They had met up with Carlisle and Esme, both looking good and healthy, not to mention glowing in happiness in spite of where they were. Seemed like they had both found what they were looking for in each other, and Edward couldn't be happier for his father.

After they got back to Aurora, they spent their last day there locked in their bedroom. Edward wished it was because they couldn't get enough of each other and therefore spent hours and hours rolling in the sheets, but alas . . . Bella reminded him that work needed to be done. They spent the entire day giving the article the final touches, and then Bella pulled him to the bed and ravaged him until the morning.

He didn't complain one bit.

When they returned to Seattle, they were shocked to see not only Emmett and Benjamin waiting for them but also Bella's entire family. Luckily, Charlie didn't bring his shotgun, but that didn't stop Edward from shaking in fear at the glares the older man kept sending his way.

The ride to Bella's apartment was long and filled with laughter, but it was mostly irritating for Edward, who had to ride in the back of the cruiser. He could tell Charlie was enjoying watching him squirm, and Bella kept rolling her eyes at the two of them.

Bella's family had prepared a large spread for them, and Edward got to enjoy again some of the dishes he loved from Aurora. Bella sat next to him—much to Charlie's displeasure—and kept feeding him small bites from all the dishes.

Overall, it was a nice evening.

That was until Charlie asked to have a word with him.

Edward knew it was coming. Bella was the apple of her dad's eye, and with the rumors about Edward's love life, Charlie just wanted to look out for his little girl.

They stepped out on the balcony while Bella was being entertained by one of her cousins, but she could still see them from where she stood.

Edward faced the chief head on and spoke first. "I just want you to know that I love your daughter very much, sir. I have loved her since we were kids, and I promise to always protect her. She makes me want to be a better man, and I hope one day I can deserve her love. You must know—"

"Son, shut up!"

Edward jumped back in surprise and shut up.

Charlie smirked and placed his hand on Edward's shoulder. "I know you have loved my daughter for a long time, Edward. I don't know if you remember this, but when you were four, you asked your dad to dress you in a suit and came to my house, asking to speak to me. You asked for Bella's hand in marriage that day, Edward. Fortunately, Bella said no. But just in case, know that I'm ready to have that talk again, and I hope this time my daughter says yes."

Edward gaped. "You mean . . . you approve?"

Charlie chuckled, patting the kid's back. "You don't need my approval, but you have my blessing."

Edward grinned and hugged the chief, who reluctantly returned the affection.

The next day, Edward called Emmett. Since Charlie had giving him his blessing, Edward wasn't going to waste any more time. People might think he was crazy for doing this so soon, but he knew it was right. Bella and Edward had known each other for years, and he wasn't wasting another minute without putting a ring on her finger.

"Yo! What's up, Ed?" Emmett answered.

Edward grinned. "Hey, Emmett. How are you?"

"Not as good as you from what I hear! Congrats, man. You finally did it! You got your Bella."

"I did!" Edward exclaimed, the smile on his face threatening to split his face in half. "Thanks to you!"

Emmett guffawed. "Man, I was sure your girl was gonna rip my balls off through the phone! But I'm glad things worked out. So, what can I do for you? I thought you'd be sleeping, or better yet, in bed with Bella."

Edward shook his head. "Actually, I had to get back to my apartment. I needed to let my landlord know I wasn't renewing my lease."

That was another reason why he was sure he was doing the right thing. Bella had asked him to spend the night yesterday. They actually slept, both tired from the long journey. In the morning, when Edward announced that he needed to go back to his apartment to talk to his landlord, Bella asked him to move in with her. He accepted right away and then proceeded to celebrate with her in the shower, on the sink counter, and then against the bathroom door.

His thighs were aching something fierce, but it had been worth it.

"More congratulations, but I get the feeling you didn't call me to spread the good news."

Edward pinched his bottom lip, hesitating for a second. "Well, here's the thing. I need a huge favor and it has to do with the article."

"Okay . . . what do you need?"

Edward explained his plan, letting Emmett know exactly what he needed him to do. Edward had it all ready. He just needed the green light from Emmett to put his plan in motion.

"Hmm, well I think we can pull it off," Emmett said, and Edward could hear him typing away. "Actually, I think we can do it in the last page."

Edward grinned. "That's perfect! You can really pull it off?"

"I'm Editor in Chief for a reason. Consider it done, man. Just email me the details and the mock up."

"I will, right away! Thank you, Emmett."

"You're welcome."

.

.

.

.

Something was up.

Bella could feel it.

All week, Edward had been acting strange around her and asking even stranger questions. She even caught him going through her jewelry box.

Yeah, something was up, but she had no time to ask him about it.

Bella smoothed her dress. The teal satin hugged her curves and the plunging neckline made her girls look extra perky. She finished putting on her earrings and then turned around. Edward stood by the bedroom door, his jaw threatening to hit the floor.

Bella smirked and sashayed towards him, ogling him in his black on black suit. When she stood right in front of him, she pushed his chin up with her index finger until his mouth closed.

"Damn, Bella. You look . . . " he bit his bottom lip and grabbed her hand to twirl her. "You look stunning, love."

Bella kissed his chin and smiled. "You don't look bad yourself, Cullen."

Edward kissed her lips, but the kiss was over too soon for Bella's taste. "Come on, love. We can't be late."

Emmett was throwing a cocktail party to celebrate Bella and Edward's article which was to be printed in Sunday's edition. Bella was calm and confident the article was going to be a hit—they had both worked hard on the piece—but for some reason, Edward was a mass of nerves.

"You okay?" Bella asked him, taking his hand in hers, noticing he was sweating.

"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Um, well . . ." She didn't get to finish what she was saying because their driver announced their arrival.

They both got out of the cab, Edward's hand clammier and his shoulders stiffer.

Bella narrowed her eyes but chose to not say anything.

An hour later, Bella wasn't sure if she did the right thing by not pushing Edward to talk. He had been avoiding her all night, and it stung like a motherfucker.

Was he regretting moving in together so soon? Bella knew she had been a bit impetuous, but she couldn't bear not having him next to her at night.

Bella sighed and finished off her glass of champagne. When she couldn't spot a waiter, she made a beeline for the refreshment table. Harsh whispers caught her attention on her way, and she hid behind a column when she spotted Emmett and Edward talking in the corner.

"Are you sure it's all set?"

"Yeah, man. Jasper is bringing one of the first copies over."

"I just hope it came out all right."

"Look, it was a last minute change, but I assure you, it was fine."

Bella stepped aside and cleared her throat, her temper flaring. "What last minute change?"

Both Edward and Emmett stilled and then slowly turned around to look at her, their eyes wide.

Bella crossed her arms. "Emmett?"

Emmett opened his mouth, but then he spotted his assistant, Jasper, making signs behind Bella's back.

Bella followed Emmett's line of sight and rushed over to Jasper, both Emmett and Edward right on her heels.

"Bella, please . . . it's not what you think!" Edward pleaded.

"How dare you make a change to the article without telling me!" she hissed at Edward. "Is this why you've been acting weird all week?" She snatched the newspaper out of Jasper's hands.

"Bella, don't you trust me?"

Bella snorted. "Don't you dare talk to me about trust!" The first page looked fine, so she opened the newspaper to inspect the second and third page, blocking Edward's pouting face. "I can't believe you would dare to do something—" She froze when she spotted the new photo at the bottom of the third page.

There, taking up a quarter of the page, was a collage of photos from Crepúsculo. The photos of the town, the wildflowers, the people, and the green landscape of her motherland looked amazing, but what made Bella still was what the photos spelled.

**MARRY **

**ME?**

It was then that Bella noticed how everyone had gone silent. She closed the newspaper only to find Edward down on one knee right in front of her, a huge diamond ring between his fingers.

"Isabella Marie Swan, I have loved you all my life. All I'm asking is for you to let me love you for the rest of yours. Would you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?"

Bella nodded, letting the newspaper fall as tears spilled out of the corners of her eyes. "Yes! YES! A million times, yes!"

Edward let out a sigh of relief and stood up, picking Bella up and kissing her to oblivion as everyone cheered and clapped. When he put her down, he slid his grandmother's ring on her finger, feeling like he had won the FIFA World Cup and then some.

"So this was what you were hiding all along?"

Edward nodded. "I just wanted to surprise you."

Bella grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Best surprise ever."

Later that night, Bella and Edward lay on their bed, both spent after a round of lovemaking, legs tangled together and Bella's head over Edward's heart. He played with the ends of her lovely hair, which had gotten longer in the last few weeks. He hoped he would get to watch it grey like his would one day since he was in it for the long haul.

Edward wanted it all with Bella. She had turned his world upside down and inside out. She was everywhere; she was everything. With one look, she could bring him to his knees or make him soar to the skies. Her love was like a current, a never-ending energy crawling under his skin. She made it impossible to sit still, she made him—

"—tremble."

"Whuz that?" Bella asked as she yawned.

Edward smiled, pulling her closer. "Nothing."

Bella hummed. "Love you . . ."

He kissed her forehead. "Always."

And with the world in his arms and her love in his heart, he let sleep take him, dreaming of a brighter and better future with Bella at his side.

**~The End~**

* * *

**Final Author's Note:** Many thanks to each and every one of you who contributed to the story: _Ladyeire3, boo1414, chinchin. unicorn, Mommymac0508, ThisIsReallyHappening, _Breath-of-Twilight, _postapocalypticdepository, Riv3rBoy84, and RockRaven_. If you would like to check out more form these awesome authors, you can find them all in this account's favorite authors list. Also, this story wouldn't have been the same without our lovely beta _**Chaya Sara**_, who went above and beyond in helping us all hold this story together. Thank you for joining us in this crazy ride and for your fabulous red pen.

Finally, big thanks to you, the readers, pimpers, donors, all of you for the support you've shown this project and the relief effort in general. We hope you enjoyed this little tale. Don't forget to let us know what you think in a review.

Till next time,

_—Ana, Born &amp; Mina_


End file.
